Oddworld Munch's Oddysee

Platformers traditionally bring up visions of brightly colored, cartoony, and just overall blissful little titles. Which, may I point out quickly, is not bad, it's just to remark that's the image the term "platformer" usually conjures up. That was, until Oddworld. A blatant satire on corporations, cruelty, environmental destruction, and the generally evil by-products of rabid capitalism - Oddworld took a dark and contorted twist on the platformer, creating a fun series for the strictly adult crowd. Now, debuting on the Xbox, comes Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, one of the system's launch titles, and also one of the most highly touted games to be released along with the console itself. On top of taking on a new console, it was going to take on the anticipated and/or dreaded 3D. So how did Abe fare.....

For those of you new to the series, the game offers you a visually spectacular wrap up of the story so far. Even if you have played the previous titles, I would suggest you watch it anyway. This title is just glorious, jaw-dropping, eye candy. It's one thing to make a twisted looking world, but to make it look this good is just an accomplishment in itself. Cut scenes are just awesome, with things like Munch's buddies, the Fuzzles, having a texture to their fur that I just haven't seen on any game previously. In another cutscene, shortly after Munch's operation, the poor Gabbet's eyes glow with a light that just seems surreal. This is what they were bragging about when they showed you the specs for the Xbox system - and while I am usually not surprised anymore, this really did me in. I normally don't address the graphics this early in the review, but when you get a view like this, you just have to share!

So what the heck is a Gabbet, a Fuzzle, and all this other stuff I'm talking about? Well, let me give you the backdrop. Abe, the original Mudokon hero of previous titles, has now discovered the newest travesty wreaked on Oddworld by the oppressive Glukkon capitalist-pigs. It seems that the Glukkons have found themselves suffering from lung problems, due to their highly addictive grade-A carcinogens (aka cigarettes). So, how do our greedy planet raping villains solve the problem? The discover the Gabbets, a water dwelling species who just happen to have highly transplantable lung types and drive them to extinction. Sadly, as the game opens, we find Munch, the last Gabbet who is suffering from the loneliness and melancholy only the last in one's special could feel. Then, he hears a call --- a Gabbet call. Heaving himself onto land he follows the sound only to discover the call a sadistic mirage, and our Gabbet is caught in a trap. Taken to Vykker's Labs, the notorious Glukkon production/torture laboratory, he is subjected to an implant which will make him a slave to gathering more victims, the Fuzzles, for experimentation.

Abe, admired leader of the Mudokon revolution of previous games, returns - this time to do what he does best, thwart the nefarious Glukkons. You'll start off playing Abe in a training level, filled with little points where you can learn more about game functions and controls. Piece by piece, you will get a handle on all the commands you will need in the game, and you'll get some practice right away in manipulating Abe with what might seem to be a slightly sensitive control scheme. You really see this come into play when you run over thin areas/bridges, or need to do some precise jumping. Like many platformers, you have items to collect, in this case spooce, and in Oddworld you will need these to do things like open portals and resurrect fallen comrades. Munch, on the other hand, thanks to the electronics implanted in his head, can now manipulate machinery and do useful things like rescue his fellow victims, the Fuzzles. Fuzzles are probably one of my favorite characters in the game. Fuzzles kind of resemble Fizzgig from The Dark Crystal, but with longer teeth and a rough, carnivorous disposition. They're balls of fur with fangs - and they aren't afraid to use them! 

In being transformed to the 3D world, like many other titles whom have gone through this transition, Munch's Oddysee had to make a sacrifice here and there. The most obvious change is the smaller sections which each world is divided into. I've seen this happen over and over in platformers, and really, none of us should be surprised by this. It's a lot of work to create 3D vs. 2D, and it's just technically feasible to break the more complex graphics and views down into more manageable chunks? Whether or not this makes the game feel more linear is really up to the style of gamer you are. Inevitably, you're going to feel one way or another about the linear nature of games, but in adventure type titles, this has become more or less the standard.

Puzzles themselves continue to also be on the more mature-thinking variety, with some serious linear thought processes coming into play. Hey, look at the depth of the unconventional storyline - you didn't expect these puzzles to be easy all the time did you? The only puzzles that really bugged me (and I'm not sure they were the puzzles or the means to the end) were the ones where you had to pick up all your friends or objects and throw/move them somewhere else. That's just one of those things that gets tedious and really doesn't add anything to gameplay other than some extra minutes to your game time. Also, probably the only other thing which really contributes to the difficulty of the game are the power-ups you'll need to use to fight off or evade enemies. For instance as Munch, you will be required to drink "Zap" to attack your enemies. However, your "zap-effect" is limited, and don't even think about getting another drink if you're surrounded. It's that "If I take time to heal/power up, I'm going to die - but if I don't do it I'm going to die anyway." It's a lose-lose situation and you have to really act fast or you'll be needing to retry the levels; levels which get really hard as you progress through the game. The GOOD thing is you can save as many times as you want, and if you're not satisfied with your performance on a level, you can restart it. 

So here you have Abe, respected leader, with whom you will spend a lot of time gathering his homies (yes, they use that term in the game), and using his psychic charisma to boss them around. Then you have Munch, last known of his kind, and hero of the Fuzzles. Both gathered forces can attack enemies, but not without a price. If you lose Mudokons, you can pay to have their spirits resurrected at a shrine. If you lose Fuzzles, you lose Quarma - or the game equivalent of Karma. Both groups will attack on command, not to mention respond to a number of other "oral" commands including commands like having them follow you or wait in a particular spot for your return. Sometimes, like in Abe's case, you'll even have to practice a little deviance of your own and throw your pals into wells with shoot them into necessary areas. Well, it's either that or play supervisor and tell them to get to work/chant to open gates and perform other puzzle solving feats. Unfortunately, some of these series of actions can become repetitive, and it might tarnish your ongoing enthusiasm to play for long periods of time.

By far the strongest appeal of Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is it's extreme quirkiness. I suppose quirkiness is really an understatement - it basically leaves you with the feeling that in the Oddworld Inhabitants development room it was the "inmates running the asylum." It's a great deal of fun, and many will feel compelled to play just to see what's next. I can't think of any other series which so successfully takes satire and political commentary in such a delightfully twisted and fun way. Oddworld is to bizarre as the Monkey Island series is to humor - and I think everyone should rent this at least once, no matter what genre you play, just to see what's they've cooked up with Munch's Oddysee. Between the opulent display of Xbox graphics and the irreverent commentary on so-called civilization - this game is just too much to miss! 

Graphics: 9.5
Wow! This game is just visually phenomenal. Do you need to show someone why you bought an Xbox? Pop this game in and watch them sit on your couch with their mouths agape. I've never seen textures and shading in a game like I have in Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. Did I saw wow yet?

Sound: 7.5
The sound is beautifully blended for those surround sound fiends who were salivating to take advantage of the Xbox audio capabilities. The voice commands and responses of your allies in the game are a bit limited though, and you may get a bit tired of hearing Abe's followers say "whatever" when you ask them to do something. Still and all, the sound of the game has a quirky feel to it, and it adds to the overall uniqueness of the game.

Concept: 8
Satire, sarcasm, and just plain weirdness. This is one of those games where some people ask, "And they get paid to make this?" and then the rest of us cheer ,"HOORAY! There is some creativity left in the gaming world!" The Oddworld games have a wonderful knack for the eclectic, and this while the gameplay itself isn't extraordinary, this is still a game that can never be called average, by any means.

Overall: 8
This is a niche game folks, but it's so radically different from anything you've ever played (unless you've played the previous games in the series, of course) that you'll just sit back and love the fact that a group of people got together and made this whacked out game. While it does suffer from some repetitive gameplay from time to time, the artistic license more than entirely makes up for it. If you're not sure rent it - from there you'll immediately know if you'll want to play the whole game.